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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · lean · squash · pit · coach · bat · temple · club

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bat — the animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. club — for dancing
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bark — to shout
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. pit — a hole
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. club — a group
  16. squash — the sport
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. squash — to crush
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. club — for golf
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pit — in a race
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lean — to rest against

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com